New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-11-28
MORAL QUESTIONS.

|
More than thirty years ago, when the Rev
DR.. Bacon stood on platform behind his
church on New Haven Green and protested
against the Kansas iniquity declaring that no
question which involved ri ht and wrong lever
| could be settled until it was settled right
| there were Snccring indif1crentists who treated
| his words with contempt. and angry carriage
makers, anxious only for their profits III South
crn trade, who wanted to close his mouth.
| Neither wrath nor Indifference avallcd to stop
the punishment OF crimc-thc crime OF de-
| priving the settlers in Kansas Of their rights
| Southern traders by the thousand went bank
| rupt and the sons of lndincrcntists by the
| thousand gave their lives to free the land from
| the curse Of slavery.
| There are men now who scof at the idea
| that there is any right or wrong in the polltl-
cal issues of the day. 1t is pleasant joke to
them to reply "bloody shirt" when states
man maintains that Southern citizens must be
protected in their rights. There arc now, as
there were thirty years ago, men who care only
for profits in Southern trade who excuse or
canizcd assassination and systematic forgery
of election returns, because it makes them
popular with southern customers. Yet there
is question Of right or wrong in this matter.
The Nation is bound by most sacred obligations
to defend in their freedom those whom il has
cmancipatcd, to guarantee TO every State re-
publican form of government, TO do what II can
to prevent a defeat Of the will Of the people by
fraud or by crime IL is as much bound to
protect citizens south Of the Potomac as it was
to protect settlers in Kansas. Indifference IN
the presence Of crime is itself a crime. Sneer-
ing does not make any wrong right. though
for the time it may palsy the arm Of justice The
question is one Of duty, and Will never be
settled until it is settled right
Dakota is a little further of than Kansas.
The crime against the people Of that Territory
is one Of votes and not Of murders. Yet the
half million inhabitants Of Dakota are robbed
Of their rights by the same party which robbed
the settlers of Kansas. 1t Is just rs much Il
robbery and a wrong to exclude from political
II ghts the settlers OF Territory solely Tor
| PARTISAN reasons it was to take from the
people Of Kansas their right to hamc a free
| constitution Not less is it a crime to excuse
or to profit by the frauds by which an honest
election has been prevented in Illinois, Indiana.
Ohio. NcW-JcI>cy and Maryland This country
will be compelled 70 remember the wrongs Of
those who are defeated by such frauds and thus
deprived Of their rghtful political power. II
| will be- compelled to recognize the contrivcrs,
the perpetrators, the aders and abcttors and
the defenders and apologiSts Of election frauds
as enemies of Justice and of Right, enemies Oh
the public welfare and Of free government
| There is right and wrong in the Issue The
settlers Of Dakota have been robbed Of then
rights. the citizens Of Cincinnati and other
cities have been robbed Of their rights, and
| indifference in the presence Of such wrongs Is
moral treason to the Republic.
These are questions of right and wrong, ant
| therefore will never be settled until they are
settled right. 1t will gain nothing to ignore
them; the Democrats who tried to ignore Tho
Kansas question had to settle their account a
last Sncerng about the "boOdy shirt WI
not avail to defend a wrong any more thai
snecrng about bleeding Kansas Ever!
wear until the voters Of the country settle these
questions by complete vlndication of right
they viii have in some way to suffer and sacrl
fee. Millions Of them do suffer and sacrifice
every wear because free trade votes in Con
grcSs, obtained by wrong and by crime, thrcatcI
| industries and cause stOppagc OF works an'
reduction Of wages. 1t would be no more thar
a inst Judgment for the indifference Of millions
Of Northern voters to the rights Of citizens II
southern States, in Dakota and IN Northern
cities if industry should be prostialcd by al
overthrow Of the protective tariff, through Tn
power in Congress thus secured by wrong am
crime.